Kitchen

[Sooner]

Back in the day, and at our house, there were scalloped potatoes or Au Gratin potatoes.  One had cheese and the other didn't.  So do you make that distinction?  It seems to not be the case much now.

I found this on the internet:

The key difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin is whether or not cheese is used. Potatoes au gratin uses grated cheese. Scalloped potatoes do not, they use heavy cream or milk. Also, scallopedpotato slices tend to be thicker than au gratin.

[jackthebear]

will eat either one 

[KingstonsMom]

We prefer au gratin, love us some cheese!

[deepwaterdotter]

Sometimes I feel like Gruyere, sometimes I don't.

[Still Raining]

Mom always made both, I love then both.

Interesting little point there about thickness.  Now I think about it, my au gratin be too thick.  It does seem too much potato.

[Sooner]

But do you call them au gratin or scalloped?  That's what seems to have changed.  Now scalloped usually has cheese in the recipe. . . or at least often.  

[chickenbutt]

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@Sooner wrote:

Back in the day, and at our house, there were scalloped potatoes or Au Gratin potatoes.  One had cheese and the other didn't.  So do you make that distinction?  It seems to not be the case much now.

I found this on the internet:

The key difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin is whether or not cheese is used. Potatoes au gratin uses grated cheese. Scalloped potatoes do not, they use heavy cream or milk. Also, scallopedpotato slices tend to be thicker than au gratin.

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That's exactly what I always thought it was.  I came up in California, if that makes any kind of regional difference. 

I'll choose the cheese, please!     

[Peaches McPhee]

My mom used to make them from the box mix (Betty Crocker, I think?).  I'd still make the mixes, but husband 't like them, and I don't need the calories.  

[Carmie]

Au Gratin means the recipe is topped with cheese, bread crumbs or both and the crusty top is browned under a broiler.

Scalloped means the food is cooked in a light cream based sauce....potatoes or oysters..yummm.

I make potatoes both ways and IMO, if cheese is added, they are au gratin....I love the brown cheese on top.

[rms1954]

Sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese, or both, and browned.

"lentils and mushrooms au gratin."

It boils down to whether you're using cheese or not. Like many culinary terms, the phrase au gratin derives from a French word that means something similar to “scrapings.” According to the Oxford Companion to Food, gratin simply refers to a crisply baked top.  

My Mom used to make creamed potatoes, which she would cube boiled potatoes and made some kind of creamy sauce.   Probably milk, flour, and parsely.  They were the best I ever had.